15 Seconds
by the.words.of.a.heart
Summary: Nine people had their sights on one thing, but what did everyone really see? As the story plays over and over again from different views, only one thing can come out. Mature language. Set five years later with description of what followed. One Shot.


**A\N: I won't lie to you. Going into writing this, I knew it was going to be long. The exposition alone was already at seven, almost eight pages, and I still wasn't done. The fact of the matter is, it was late, I'd had a wild week, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I came up with this idiotic idea to write a story , a oneshot to be more precise five years in the future to the season finale. But that wasn't good enough for me. No, I had to do it my way. I wanted to tell Jude and Tommy's story for the first half of the story. The second half got a bit more complicated. Telling a story repeated from 5 different viewpoints to figure out what actually took place, and then piecing it all together. Everyone saw something, but could they really be sure what they saw was real? And when only two people know for sure…Whose to say they'll be able, or willing for that matter, to give statements. **

**Without further ado:**

_INSTANT STAR:_

_15 Seconds_

Jude yawned wearily, looking around the dressing room. It'd been so long since she'd been here, she wasn't even sure the stage manager remembered her name. Eight, almost nine years ago, she was only stepping onto the tip of what it was to be a musician and a rockstar. Now she had lived the life full fledged, she'd come full circle.

"Knock knock." Jude looked up and smiled, meeting the blue eyes she loved. "You sure you're up for this?"

Jude nodded, standing up and walking over to Tommy. She straightened his tie and kissed him softly before stepping past him and walking towards the stage. Tommy smirked, following her and pulling her into his arms. She sighed softly, hugging him back and closing her eyes.

"_What..What're you doing here, Tommy. I told you I was leaving." Jude glared at him almost angrily. She'd left home to get away from the dramas of her life, but apparently they weren't going to work with her. _

"_Its been a year, Jude. I came out here for the same reason you did. An offer from a great record company, and beyond that, I'm sick of dealing with Darius' crap. Incase you hadn't heard, thanks to him, I've got four three inch scars to remind me just how much," he seethed, moving the collar of his shirt over an inch or so, showing a cut with stitches on his chest. _

_Jude's jaw dropped slightly, not sure what to make of the situation. She held his gaze bit longer, trying to figure out what to say to him, but she was unable to, and decided leaving it there would be the best bet. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the studio, leaving him standing there. As she entered the lobby, she bumped into her boss._

"_Sahara, I'm so sorry." Jude waved her hands in apology, not wanting to get reprimanded for leaving when she was supposed to be working. _

"_Jude. What're you doing out of the studio? You were supposed to be meeting with your new producer this morning and getting acquainted." She looked past Jude and waved, smiling. "Ah, Thomas." _

_Tommy nodded to the woman, shaking her hand. "Hi."She nodded to him, smiling. "We'll get you into the studio tonight to finish up the mixing on your album. All we need is for you to do the same with Jude's and then we'll talk tour and release dates."_

_Tommy nodded again, looking down at Jude. "You ready to play nice for a little while?"She let out a bit of a heavy sigh and then turned around, walking back into the studio. She settled her bag on a chair and then crossed the room, grabbing her guitar out of its case."Okay. So you're producing the last bit of my album and then mixing it? Lovely," Jude spoke sarcastically. _

_Tommy rolled his eyes, walking over to the soundboard and running his fingers along the base of it. "Look, I get when you left it was because you wanted your own 'adventures', that you wanted to have your chance to live the 'rock star life'." He paused for a moment, looking down to the ground and then back up at her. "I never got my chance to do it my way, and now I am. It'll be far from the rock star life that you're going for, but I'm taking my turn. I told you 4 years ago. I may or may not choose to record another solo album one day. I didn't know, but it was my choice."With that he stepped past her, leaning across the sound board and turning it on. He looked back at Jude, but she passed him before he could see a reaction on her face, and walked into the sound booth. Tommy settled in the chair, pressing the button to speak into the microphone. "Guitar track first?"Jude nodded and watched as he pressed a few more buttons before pressing the speaker button once more. "Jude Harrison, Just Watch Me take one in 5, 4, 3, 2," He gave her the final number as he hit the start button on the sound board. He watched as she played through the guitar track, ready at any moment to tell her to watch her fingers, but not once did he have to. When she had finished, he returned the recording to the beginning and pressed the playback and record button, nodding to her. Jude settled her guitar on the floor and stepped up to the mic, touching the side of the headphone so she could hear the backbeats._

"_**Lying down, **_

_**On the ground,**_

_**Looking up,**_

_**Feeling down,**_

_**Sitting up,**_

_**Reaching around**_

_**Find my footing**_

_**So I can stand my ground**_

_**Walking through the city**_

_**Running in the street**_

_**Driving through the country**_

_**Standing on my own two feet**_

_**I don't have to slow down**_

_**And I don't want to turn around**_

_**I'm grown up now**_

_**I don't want to live this down**_

_**I'm ready to live my life**_

_**I'm not slowing down**_

_**I have to make this right**_

_**Find my own adventures,**_

_**In my own time**_

_**Just watch me now**_

_**I'm blasting off**_

_**Just watch me now**_

_**I'm not about to stop**_

_**Its coming full circle**_

_**I'm ready to know**_

_**If this is how it goes,**_

_**Just watch me go**_

_**Walking through town**_

_**Staying out all night**_

_**Dancing in the club**_

_**This is living the life**_

_**Writing seven songs**_

_**On my own time**_

_**With enough still left**_

_**To make my date tonight**_

_**Haven't seen a friend**_

_**A face that I love**_

_**Eyes that make me smile**_

_**But I'm still above**_

_**Breathing on my own**_

_**Standing my own ground**_

_**I promise you now**_

_**I'm happy in this town**_

_**Five fashion shows**_

_**And four concerts a week**_

_**6 more next month**_

_**But I'm awake with a start**_

_**Bouncing off the walls**_

_**Every city, a new friend**_

_**Every hotel I find some comfort**_

_**Wherever I lay my head**_

_**I don't have to slow down**_

_**And I don't want to turn around**_

_**I'm grown up now**_

_**I don't want to live this down**_

_**I'm ready to live my life**_

_**I'm not slowing down**_

_**I have to make this right**_

_**Find my own adventures,**_

_**In my own time**_

_**Just watch me now**_

_**I'm blasting off**_

_**Just watch me now**_

_**I'm not about to stop**_

_**Its coming full circle**_

_**I'm ready to know**_

_**If this is how it goes,**_

_**Just watch me go**_

_**Cause I just wanna run**_

_**I wanna have a little fun**_

_**Or maybe a lot more**_

_**Let me see whats in store**_

_**Dance all night**_

_**Start a few fights**_

_**Hear it from me now**_

_**There ain't no stopping now**_

_**Just keep it going**_

_**No reason for me to stop**_

_**Stand up and let me scream**_

_**I'm gonna go until I drop...**_

_**I don't have to slow down**_

_**And I don't want to turn around**_

_**I'm grown up now**_

_**I don't want to live this down**_

_**I'm ready to live my life**_

_**I'm not slowing down**_

_**I have to make this right**_

_**Find my own adventures,**_

_**In my own time**_

_**Just watch me now**_

_**I'm blasting off**_

_**Just watch me now**_

_**I'm not about to stop**_

_**Its coming full circle**_

_**I'm ready to know**_

_**If this is how it goes,**_

_**Just watch me go...**_

_**I'm not about to stop**_

_**Its coming full circle**_

_**I'm ready to know**_

_**If this is how it goes...**_

_**Just watch me go…"**_

_Tommy nodded as she looked up at him, rubbing her lips together. "Good. We'll get the band in here later to get the rest of it done."Jude nodded and walked out of the sound booth, shutting the door behind her. She sat down in the chair across from Tommy as he played with the levels a bit before pushing back from the soundboard. "You don't have to stay here, you know. I can get this last song done on my own, and the tour meeting isn't going to be at least until after I've negotiated my contract with them…"_

_Jude shook her head crossing one leg over the other and locking her fingers together, sitting comfortably. "I have questions," she spoke sternly. Tommy looked up at her, pulling the headphones completely down off of his ears so that they were resting around his neck. "You want to know how Darius caused," he paused momentarily, pulling his shirt down a bit to once again to reveal the blue stitches that were merging the cut in his skin back together. "This?"Jude looked down at her hands, moving them from her knee to her lap and twisting her thumbs. "I realize the way I left you was far from fair…But, I…I never said that…" She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. She stood from her seat, pacing a line in the floor. She looked at him and then back at the floor. "When I left, I felt like I was being held to an ultimatum. Like if I didn't do everything as a straight edge like I had the last three years, then I wasn't doing what you wanted. And I…You said I say I want one thing and then I do another. So I made my choice. I wanted to do it all my way with no strings attached. And that, is how its been since then." Jude looked up at Tommy briefly, and then back down at the floor. "It didn't mean that I didn't care, or that I didn't love you."_

_Tommy swallowed hard at what she was saying, "This…doesn't get us anywhere, Jude. It does nothing more than prolong whatever you're already avoiding. You left, and when you did, you made it pretty obvious that you didn't want me to follow you."Jude stopped pacing and leaned against the door of the studio, crossing her arms. "So tell me what happened then. If I've missed so much, clue me in…"_

_Tommy groaned, throwing his head back and resting it on the head of the seat. Jude's eyes bulged; seeing the purple ring that marred his neck."Oh, now you're really telling me what the hell happened," she ordered, walking over to him. She reached to lift his chin, and when he tried to push her hand away, she slapped it, lifting his chin anyway. Her fingers brushed over the bruise. _

_Tommy shivered icily, grabbing her wrist and pushing her arm down. "Don't. Not now…" He stood, running a hand over the back of his neck before getting up. He still held her wrist in his hand, and ran his fingers down over her hand, curling hers into his. He looked up at her, giving her the smile that she knew meant bad news. He groaned breathily, leaning forward and grazing her nose. "I…" He took in a deep breath, looking at the pathetic linoleum floor. "I signed a contract because Darius wanted me to do something for the greater good of G Major. After that, he started piling on work. Karma's album, Milo's, four new bands, a duo, and three other new artists. I was working so much, I practically lived at G Major….I ended up in the hospital almost a dozen times because I didn't have time to leave the studio unless I was going to do something with one of the artists or bands. It was like I had to be wrapped up in music, otherwise I was committing treason." He let out a heavy sigh, looking at her. "The more your album climbed in the charts, the more angry he got, because the only people who could claim ownership to it were you and I…So I pulled out of the company. I told him I was discontinuing my album contract with G Major and that I'd be gone as soon as I reassigned all the artists…"Jude nodded, watching his eyes as he spoke. "It only took me a week to find producers for everyone but one. Karma had two songs left that needed to be finished off and then it was off to New York for the final mix, so I told her I'd finish it for her, and she and Spied were both going to sign contracts with NBR after this tour anyway, so I figured what the hell. I packed up my stuff and three days before I was supposed to leave, Darius comes to me all distraught, telling me there's someone in G Major selling drugs and that if I was going to leave like this, I owed him one last favour…I only agreed to do it because up until 2 years ago…I knew the crowd. So I showed up at Body English and it didn't take long to find them…Only come to find out, Darius had me set up, saying that it was me that was running it all. He said he wouldn't turn me in if I signed a new contract."Jude whimpered inwardly at the thought of what he was telling her and shook her head at the thought. "I…I can't believe he'd get so desperate enough to do…that."Tommy nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor. "I told him no, so the guys he had there beat me up. When I still got up and started to walk away, one of them came at me from behind with a knife. He got me here, here, here, and here." Tommy explained, pointing to the middle of the small of his back, his right side in the front, the middle of his chest, and finally the spot next to his collarbone that he'd pointed out before. _

_Jude shook her head, scared to imagine what it would have been like, had she stuck around. "God, Tommy. I'm sorry…"_

Tommy pulled away from her and smiled, kissing the side of her head. "Hey…Where were you just now?"She shrugged. "Taking a walk down memory lane, I guess. I'm just surprised Darius is allowed to be here tonight."Tommy shrugged, kissing her cheek and then her lips. "Whatever. If he tries to do anything stupid, they'll kick him out. Besides, my scars have long since healed, both emotional and physical. Not even you could hurt me again, Harrison," he teased.

Jude giggled, shaking her head. "I can't believe we're back here too, though. That was something else we said we weren't going to do. That London was home now…."

Tommy shrugged once more, leading her back over to the couch. "Well, NBR could use some help, and considering both Jamie and Spied are married now, I'm not too worried."Jude giggled again, laying her head on his shoulder. "You're crazy, Tommy. But there's still not a thing about you that I would change."He smiled, looking down at her. He kissed her forehead, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "Get some sleep girl."She nodded, closing her eyes sheepishly. Soon enough there would be music to play and questions to answer.

"_Whoa, girl. Take it easy." Tommy could barely contain his laughter as she stumbled over her own feet onto the bus. He held her arm gently, walking her to the shower and helping her to slip her clothes off. _

"_I don' wanna shower," she slurred, putting her hands on the sides of his hair, running them down his face to his shoulders. "I want you." she slurred again, enunciating the T in want. Tommy laughed and shook his head, lifting her over his shoulder and carrying her to their bedroom on the tour bus."You need to take a shower. You're all sweaty from the concert, and regardless, you're too drunk to make that choice consciously."Jude pouted, leaning up and kissing his lips. "Pleeeeaaaaaseeee?"Tommy couldn't help but laugh at her. "We'll see. Shower, first."Jude pouted again but nodded, attempting to take her shirt off, but she only succeeded in pulling it and stretching it out. Tommy giggled and pulled her shirt up over head, spinning her around to him. He kissed her lips softly and trailed them down her neck as she pulled at his shirt with one hand, and his belt buckle with the other. He stepped back and pulled his shirt over his head before kissing her again. "Hey."She looked up at him sheepishly and smiled. "Hmm?""I love you…" His words came softly, but loud enough for her to hear him. He searched her eyes for some sort of emotion, but he found none and shook his head, stepping back and walking over to the bed. Jude followed him, sitting down next to him. She turned his face to make him look at her. "Tommmmy. I'm derrruunnk. 'id be suuuppid to ssssay it nnnnooowwww. You wooden buh-leaf mmmmeeeee."He couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked in her drunken stupor. "I'm sorry, girl."She smiled, kissing his lips quickly. "I love you, Dommy. Now…shower!" She giggled, standing and trying to pull him up with her, but only succeeding in falling back down on him. He laughed, looking up at her. She smiled, looking at him. He leaned up, kissing her lips softly. She rested her arms on either side of his head, running her fingers through his hair. "mmmm…"_

Jude awoke with a startle as a microphone dropped to the floor somewhere outside on the stage down the hall. She groaned sheepishly, look Tommy, who was already alert, seeing her reaction to the sudden noise. "Shh. It was just someone dropping a microphone stand. Just go back to sleep."She groaned sheepishly and nodded, resting her head back on his shoulder, pulling the blanket up around her that he'd pulled over them while she was asleep.

_Sadie threw the front door open, regardless that Jamie was standing behind her with Zeppelin. Jude couldn't help but laugh at her sister, pulling her into a hug. _

"_I thought you'd never come home!" Sadie squealed excitedly. She even reached behind Jude, pulling Tommy into a hug. He laughed, hugging her back, kissing the top of her head. "We missed you too, Sades." Jude spoke, teasing that their hug sandwich was squishing the air out of her lungs. Sadie stepped back, pulling Jude into the house. Tommy followed in suit, never letting go of Jude's hand as she shut the doors behind him. They walked into the sitting room and everyone settled comfortably. Tommy's head bobbed around Jude's a few times, and then he turned back and looked at Sadie. "Okay, so where's this ah, this father? The great person you're in love with?"_

_Jude giggled, shaking her head. "Babe, hes working. Sadie told you that last night on the phone. He'll be home in time for dinner."Sadie giggled too, standing up and heading for the kitchen. "Yes. Matt will be done in time for the pizza to arrive. He was just helping Jamie and Zeppelin to get NBR finished up for opening tomorrow."Tommy looked over at his sister-in-law quizzically. "I know you guys said they were moving the studio because of his grandmother passing away…"Jude nodded wearily, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, they moved into G Major's old place. A total makeover. Zep e-mailed me pictures the other night. It looks really nice."Sadie nodded, walking in from the kitchen with a tray of cups filled with various sodas. Jude and Tommy grabbed one and then Tommy passed the tray on to Spied and Karma. _

"_So, I've been gone for a year and a half. How's your career going?" Tommy looked at Karma with interest._

_Jude giggled, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. "I swear, you don't listen to anything I tell you unless the sentence has the words marriage or baby in it."_

_Tommy looked at her, obviously exhausted from the flight. "Huh? What about a baby?"Everyone burst out laughing, and Karma pushed the side of his head. "We went on tour, and then got to work on our second albums. Darius…"Tommy shook his head, scratching the side of it with his thumb as he usually did. "We ah, we don't talk about Darius. Leaving Toronto didn't exactly get us away from him."Jude pulled his hand down, slapping it lightly and checking the stitches on his hairline. She noticed the look of confusion on everyone else's face's, not including Kyle and Wally, considering they weren't paying attention. Jude chuckled at their girlfriends trying to make them pay attention. "They never will. They're too indulged by their fantasies and self-centered conversing." She looked back at Karma, biting the side of her lip. "Darius is in jail, yeah…but apparently when they shipped him off to prison, his 'hench men' weren't too happy." Jude looked over at Spied. "You remember that guy from the concert we played the night before The Learning Curve release party? Yeah that guy that showed up, he's had quite a tabs on our life apparently." She grabbed Tommy's arm, pulling up his sleeve to show a scar on his wrist. "Meet his latest conquest."Tommy pulled his arm back and pulled his sleeve down sheepishly and shivered icily. Jude eyed him conspicuously. "Why do you always do that?"He looked at her, confused. "Do what?""You always shake like that. Even when they do stitches."Tommy shrugged, looking down at his hands. "I don't know. I don't like being reminded of the fact that someone hurt me like that again, I guess. Its scary." _

_Jude pouted, kissing his lips softly. "I love you."_

Jude's eyes opened sheepishly and she looked up, seeing Tommy smiling down at her. "Rise and shine girl. You're on in half an hour." Tommy smiled, smoothing her hair out of her face. He kissed the side of her head, but she jumped back as a whirl of red curls wrapped around his leg. Jude giggled, watching as Tommy leaned over and picked up the little girl.

"Uncle Tommy!! I missed you!!"Jude smiled, kissing the little girl's head. "Hey, Kaya. Guess what I heard?"Kaya looked up at Jude, smiling. "I winned first place at the oblympicks?!"Jude laughed, shaking her head. "No, sweetie. You won in junior level Sectionals. Now you go to nationals and _then _to the Olympics. But you did so well!"Tommy smiled, watching the two together. He tickled Kaya's stomach. She curled into him, trying to grab his arm. "Stop!! Mommy!"

Sadie laughed from the doorway with Matt, shaking her head. "I think uncle Tommy's got you taken care of, baby girl."

Tommy smiled, stopping momentarily from tickling her when she almost fell backwards from his arms.

"You, get out."Jude's and Tommy's giggles stopped momentarily as they saw Darius standing at the door. Tommy shifted Kaya to his other hip, shaking his head.

"You were invited to this because up until 5 years ago, you made High On Lyrics headline Concerts To See every year. But now I do that. So get out, and back into your seat before we call security."Darius rolled his eyes, tossing a ring box into the room, which landed in Jude's awaiting hands. "Whatever T. We were going through old Boyz Attack storage; thought you might like that." With that, he walked away, leaving Tommy and Jude staring at the little box like it was holding a bomb.

Tommy set Kaya on her feet and took the box from Jude, eyeing her for a moment before opening it. His jaw tightened and he swallowed hard before he pulled the chain gently free from the confines of the box.

"What is it?" Jude, Sadie, and Matt spoke simultaneously. Jude looked over his hand, but Tommy shook his head, pulling his fist towards his chest."Its ah, a chain that was on her neck the night she died. Drenched with blood. God, that sick son of a bitch. He only did this to piss me off so I'll leave and he'll make it headline. God damnit!" Tommy let his grip on the necklace up, and walked off to the adjoining washroom to the dressing room. Jude followed him, standing in the doorway.

"Babe, it was almost 10 years ago-"Tommy glared at her momentarily, and then looked back down, shaking his head. He looked back up at her with softer eyes, squeezing the side of the sink. "I'm sorry…But she and I were supposed to get married. She matters more than Darius lets her. And yeah, three days from now she'll have been dead 10 years. I'm a **little **sick of people just brushing it off." He looked up at her sheepishly, shaking his head. "Maybe, to everyone else, she was just someone who died before she should have. But to me…Honestly Jude, it took me 4 years to even THINK about getting over her, and you** know** why. Darius rubs it in like she was nothing. But to Hunter and I…" Jude's eyes widened, astonished. "Hunter? Y-y-you've talked to Hunter since he got out of jail?" Tommy looked at her, smirking. "Regardless, when he found out about Portia, yeah, he was pissed. He's made a lot of mistakes, and everyone needs a second chance…If I remember correctly, when I came home last year, you said the same thing." Jude sighed heavily and nodded, stepping up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Okay. Okay…Can we just…not fight?" He kissed her forehead and walked out of the room. Sadie and Matt had already walked out with Kaya, leaving the two of them alone in the room. Tommy walked over and shut the door before walking back over to the couch. Jude smiled up at him, toying with the hem of her dress."So you gonna play 2 AM like we discussed?" Tommy smiled lightly, but it quickly turned to a frown when she shook her head no. "Why not? And what are you gonna play instead?" "I was gonna play Tell Me Why. Not to hurt anyone, but the song-" Tommy stood from the couch, pacing the floor angrily. "Wh-why would you want to play a song about me lying to you!? And on tonight, of ALL nights!" Jude groaned heavily, shaking her head. "I should have known you'd make this about you. C'mon Tommy! The kids out there are looking for music about why everyone's lying to them and not knowing what direction to go in. They want two things. Songs about love, and songs about lies." Tommy shook his head, looking at her sickeningly. "Nah, nah nah nah. This is about the fact that I won't succumb to just giving in to what Darius wants and apologize to him and let him have the stock sails to Close Your Eyes!" Jude groaned, shaking her head. "No, Tommy, this isn't. But on the subject of that, yeah, you DO owe him stock sails, no matter how bad our past is with him! I'm not asking you to sit by and become acquaintances with the man again, Tom. I'm just asking that you show G Major the credit it deserves." Tommy laughed sarcastically. "G Major yes. Darius, no. And only G Major because before that asshole took over, it actually had accreditation! Georgia was struggling, yes, but they would have pulled it out. They did it before and they would have done it again." Jude shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "Who are we kidding? This is what happens EVERY night! God Tommy, I'm SO sick of fighting all the time!"He rolled his eyes and grabbed the acoustic guitar, shoving it at her. "You're on." Jude groaned and took it from him and walked out of the room, onto the stage. The crowd roared around her as she stepped up to the main stage, settling the guitar on her lap as she sat down on the stool in front of the microphone. She cleared her throat, and the audience quieted."This ah, this song is something I wrote a few months back that you can expect on the new album. Its one of my favourites, and I love it…I'm beginning to think all my great songs come from being held hostage." Jude, as well as the audience broke out in a fit of giggles. "Anyway, this is Tell Me Why. Enjoy."She strummed the guitar lightly, growing heavier as she continued to play.

"**Standing here, I can feel you**

**Your breath on my skin**

**Your taste on my lips**

**I hear your words whispered in my ear**

**I know you're near**

**I can see the scratches in the wall**

**The lyrics you etched in,**

**My one last call**

**One more chance**

**To stop us before we fall**

**A thousand questions,**

**But I just want to know why**

**No more accusations,**

**No more lies...**

**Can you tell me why**

**Just why you have to lie**

**Why you have push away**

**Pretending everything's okay**

**Telling secrets to other people**

**Ruining us and not even seeing it,**

**Whispering lies inside my ear**

**Walking away, leaving me here**

**I'm breaking down underneath**

**But you don't care enough to see**

**You tell me lies,**

**Just tell me lies**

**I've only one questions,**

**Tell me why**

**Standing alone on the street,**

**Waiting where you said we'd meet**

**I can feel your hand on my palm**

**I hear my phone, youre late but you called**

**I need you to feel calm**

**I can feel the lies**

**With no actual truth for an alibi,**

**Still here I stand**

**waiting for you**

**Because you promised we'd see us through**

**A thousand questions,**

**But I just want to know why**

**No more accusations,**

**No more lies...**

**Can you tell me why**

**Just why you have to lie**

**Why you have to push away**

**Pretending everything's okay**

**Telling secrets to other people**

**Ruining us and not even seeing,**

**Whispering lies inside my ear**

**Walking away, leaving me here**

**I'm breaking down underneath**

**But you don't care enough to see**

**You tell me lies,**

**Just tell me lies**

**I've only one questions,**

**Tell me why…" **The heavy playing faded off into a softer sound, and Jude's eyes shot over to the side of the stage, seeing Darius and Tommy screaming at each other. She watched as Darius shoved something into Tommy's side, though she wasn't sure what.

"**I can feel my chest caving**

**A part of me is breaking**

**Its one more choice I have to make**

**Another heart you got to break**

**I can't look back,**

**I won't ask why**

**I'm sick and tired of all these lies**

**And I'm tired of crying**

**I can see the scratches in the wall**

**The lyrics you etched in,**

**My one last call**

**One more chance**

**To stop us before we fall**

**A thousand questions,**

**But I just want to know why**

**No more accusations,**

**No more lies...**

**Can you tell me why**

**Just why you have to lie**

**Why you have to push away**

**Pretending everything's okay**

**Telling secrets to other people**

**Ruining us and not even seeing,**

**Whispering lies inside my ear**

**Walking away, leaving me here**

**I'm breaking down underneath**

**But you don't care enough to see**

**You tell me lies,**

**Just tell me lies**

**I've only one question,**

**Tell me why…" **Jude looked back over to the side of the stage, seeing Tommy and Darius still arguing, except now Tommy hand his hands up in surrender, and Darius was still holding something to Tommy's side. She swallowed hard, finishing through the last of the song.

"**Tell me why**

**Just tell me why**

**Tell me why**

**Just stop the lies**

**I got a story **

**I got a game**

**I play around**

**Its all the same**

**Tell me why**

**You tell me lies**

**Just tell me lies**

**I've only one question**

**Tell me why…" **"Thanks guys." Jude stood up quickly and headed for the side of the stage, groaning that her swollen feet wouldn't carry her faster. "Whats going on?"Darius stepped back, pulling whatever he'd been holding to Tommy's side up his sleeve. Jude looked up at him, still slightly angry. "You should get back to your seat, **Darius.**"Darius rolled his eyes and walked away from them, leaving them standing alone."What was that, Tommy? What was he doing?" Jude crossed her arms, staring at her fiancée inquisitively. Tommy shook his head, stepping past her. "Don't worry about it, Jude. We'll leave in 10 minutes." He kissed her forehead before grabbing the electric guitar next to the stage and walking out onto the stage. Once again the crowd roared. Tommy put on a smiling face, stepping up onto the stage that Jude had just bee on, except this time it held his band. He shook hands with Trey, the lead guitarists and one of his best friends, and then stepped up in front of the mic.

"This song, isn't new. Infact I wouldn't be surprised if most of you knew it by now. But its tradition to play it because it matters that much to me…Believe it or not, there was a time when I was that kid, drowning with no place to go, no bed to sleep in without being beaten down. And most people believe there's never a way to get away from that."Tommy shrugged, sniffling. Several tears dropped from his eyes, but he sucked it up. "I'm not telling you to go out and become rockstars, because that would make this world full of people who are stuck up for 10 years before they realize that someone's gonna love you. "I'm just saying that…there's something more than sex, drugs, and alcohol. There's more to life than harming your body, and whether you believe it or not, someone out there loves you.

"In the mean time…Feel free to sing along if it makes you feel better. You guys already know this song. High On Lyrics."

All the lights faded out, leaving the room almost completely pitch-black, if it weren't for cellphones and lighters. Tommy's electric guitar filled the emptiness, and in no time, the room livened up. The lights shot up around Tommy and the band, flashing across the stages as he played heavier into the opening rifts before he moved his guitar to his side and took the mic in his hands. **"Tell me your secrets**

**Then bury them down**

**Under my bed**

**You're shutting us down**

**Breaking me down**

**Pushing me away**

**I'm so sick of this **

**There's gotta be a way**

**I'm getting sick of this feeling**

**I don't feel numb anymore**

**I'm getting sick of being broken**

**I can't stand what's in store**

**Breathe in another line**

**Shoot up another ounce**

**A few moments gone**

**You don't have to feel it anymore**

**You're not living under a rock**

**You don't have to live like this**

**You're not under their thumb**

**They can't make you stay**

**Forget about the drugs**

**Forget about the cuts**

**No one needs to know**

**Its not your fault**

**You don't have to feel this pain**

**There's another way out**

**Lets get high on music**

**Time to shut them down**

**You don't have to feel this way**

**No one gets to control your pain**

**Lets get high on lyrics**

**Its time to get away.."**The crowd grew silent as another guitar rift came in. The lights flickered, and everyone's eyes shot around suspiciously as the band continued to play, continuing into the second verse.

"**Someone's up late screaming for help**

**There's a girl who won't be in school tomorrow"**

The lights went out completely, leaving nothing but the stage lights on, shining up on the bands' faces, and making them completely blind to the crowd. Tommy's eyes shot around warily, searching for any face, but all he met was black beyond the lights.

"**Someone's not waking up for church**

**Your boyfriends not making dinner tonight**

**Your best friend 'tri--"**The words faded out with the sound of a gunshot fired 3 times over, and then dead silence as Jude's scream filled the air..

**--**

**Tell me your secrets**

**Then bury them down**

**Under my bedYou're shutting us down**

**--**

Jude watched from the side of the stage, listening to Tommy play. She knew he loved that song as much as he loved he benefit concert he put on every year. She'd been with him the night he'd written the song five years before when he'd confessed his life story to her finally after 3 years of knowing each other. She looked up at the ceiling as the lights flickered and her eyes shot out into the audience, looking for any sign of something suspicious; specifically Darius. What she saw next was by far the most complex thing ever.Darius was interrupted by a security guard, and in the same moment, the lights turned out completely. She continued shooting her eyes around, looking for any sign of Darius being involved. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw only what could be a ghost. And then a gun-shot filled the air…

**--**

**Breaking me down**

**Pushing me away**

**I'm so sick of this **

**There's gotta be a way--**

Sadie and Matt stood backstage, feeding Kaya an abundance of Forgotten Kisses. Matt put his hand up over Kaya's mouth as he heard Tommy talking in the distance, and then looked over at Sadie. "Did you want to see him perform?"Sadie shrugged, looking down at their daughter. "I see the same performance every year followed by a song I've never heard that's usually about healing. Its nothing new. We'll go out when he plays…." Her words faded out as they noticed the flickering from the hallway. "That's not right…They never shut the lights out in the middle of the song."Matt picked up Kaya and grabbed Sadie's hand, running for the side of the stage, just in time to hear gunshots fired.Sadie smacked into someone, and swallowed hard as the person in front of her with the most sadistic smirk she'd ever seen."Why would you do this?"

**--**

**I'm getting sick of this feeling**

**I don't feel numb anymore**

**I'm getting sick of being broken**

**I can't stand what's in store**

**--**

Jamie stood next to Zeppelin in the audience, watching from the front row with Spied and Karma. Zeppelin nudged Jamie, pointing at Darius.

"I don't think he'll pull something in the middle of Quincy's speech, let alone with us out here. He'd have to take out the four of us before he'd get away with something without us realizing it."

Zeppelin nodded, looking back up at Tommy on the stage. "Do you..actually know this song he's gonna sing?"Jamie nodded, slightly ashamed. "Yeah. They recorded the song at NBR the week you and Karma went up for spa treatments a few years ago. It was when he and Jude came home for vacation for a few days."Zeppelin nodded again, and the crowd grew quiet as the lights went out. She turned around, seeing darius punching something in on his blackberry. A minute later, several security guards came up behind him and Zeppelin nudged Jamie again. "Why are there security guards by him?"Jamie turned around and noticed what she was talking about. "Oh, something is wrong. Something is really wrong. Oh god, oh no.."Everything played out like a movie in front of them as the security guards escorted Darius away, just in time for the lights to go out completely and gunfire to fill the air…

**--**

**Breathe in another line**

**Shoot up another ounce**

**A few moments gone**

**You don't have to feel it anymore**

**--**

Darius groaned, watching from the audience as Tommy went on his usual talk before performing. Each year it was different, but always uplifting in some way. He was searching for any sign of danger, considering Tommy nor Jude had caught on to the fact that he was in danger here.

"Mr. Mills, we're gonna need you to come with us."He turned around and met two security guards that were at least a foot taller than him. "You've got to be kidding me. There's a lot more serious of an issue that you should be taking care of! People are gonna get hurt!"One security guard looked at the other and they both laughed, grabbing him and shoving him towards the doors in the back as the band began to play.

About twenty yards from the door, the security guards let go of him, and a few feet later, he tried, unsuccessfully to make a run for it. They caught him and dragged him back towards the door as the lights went out. They both turned around and Darius rolled his eyes, walking back towards the crowd. "Tom get down!!" His scream was lost in the crowd as his band played into the second verse, though they were stopped short as three shots of gunfire filled the air…

**--**

**You don't have to feel this pain**

**There's another way out**

**Lets get high on music**

**Time to shut them down**

**--**

Tommy's eyes shot through the crowd as the lights went out, panic filling his chest, though he did his best to keep it from being obvious in the lyrics. He slipped his guitar over his shoulder and turned to pass it back to Trey. His eyes met that of a ghosts, and the lyrics of the song stopped dead. His eyes clenched shut as the piercing sound of a gunshot echoed through the air. Fear hit him as he felt an aching pain race through his chest, but he was still alive, in more pain then he ever thought possible.

Another shot was fired, and his scream met Jude's as it tore in one side of his shoulder and out of the other, leaving him gaping in pain. Trey dropped his guitar, grabbing Tommy's arm as a final shot fired through the air, grazing across the side of his head and entered his back, causing him to let out the loudest scream yet before he dropped to the floor.

"Jude!"Jude scrambled onto the stage, or at least attempted to before security shoved her back. Sadie ran across the stage, pulling Jude into her arms in attempt to keep her from seeing what was going on. The lights flickered back on again, and screams filled the air at the sight of Tommy bleeding out on the stage. Darius ran past Jamie and the other three, climbing up the ladder on the side of the stage, grabbing the mic out of Tommy's hand.

"Alright, everyone shut up and get out! Snapping pictures with your camera phone is going to do nothing but irritate the press because by the time this gets out, no ones going to care. Its not a one-shot deal where you're the only one you've seen it. There's millions of people watching at home that just watched this. Its nothing new.

And I pray to god anybody who is recording this on their DVR deletes it before they watch it. This will hardly be a memory to keep."

With that he dropped the microphone to the floor and ran for the backstage.

Jude looked up at Sadie, shaking her head in the midst of sobbing. "This is a massacre! Why would someone do this to us!?"Sadie shook her head, hugging Jude again. "She's…crazy, Jude. I don't know. But Tommy needs you."Jude shook her head, trying to slow her sobs, though they only seemed to be getting worse. "I ca-can't. He's….God, Tommy…"Sadie shook her head and wrapped an arm around Jude's waist, leading her out to the stage. A security guard stopped them mid-way onto the stage. "We're trying to clear the stage right now ladies-""No! You, step off! That's her fiancée." That sentence alone made the security step aside and Jude ran past Sadie to Tommy. Trey stepped aside, wrapping an arm around her as the EMTs pulled the bullet out of his back and rolled him onto his back. He let out a searing scream of pain, shaking his head when they asked him if he was okay.

"No! No! NO! I'm NOT okay!! God **DAMN IT! **This was why I stopped taking knives to my skin!!" Tears flowed over his eyelids and onto the stage as the EMTs held him down. He jerked against them in pain while one attempted to remove the bullet from his shoulder. "Shhh…" Jude leaned down and kissed the bottom of his chin, being unable to actually reach his lips. "Breathe…"

"I **can't!!**" He shook his head as tears continued to race down his cheeks. His eyes met hers in an aching glance, begging for someone to make the pain to stop. "God I could really go for a shot of heroin right now."Jude laughed sarcastically, shaking her head. She reached up and rubbed his hair out of his face, shaking her head as they continued to dig in his shoulder for the bullet. "It went in one side and out the other," he groaned.

"No, it didn't. There's no exit wound…" One of the EMTs spoke softly, while Tommy drew blood, biting on his lip. His eyes drooped momentarily and Trey pulled Jude back.

"Okay you gotta get that bullet out now. This one is in his chest cavity and they need to do surgery to get it out, and on top of that, he's losing too much blood.""Tommy? Tommy!?" Jude shoved Trey away from her, crawling back to Tommy's side. "Baby, please. I'm still here.""Imph…zng." His words were beyond slurred and completely jumbled in his drained oblivion.

"What? What is it, baby?" Jude moved off the stage as they moved him down onto the floor, settling him on the stretcher. "He said he wants you to sing."Jude spun around and Darius came up behind them, putting the necklace in Tommy's hand that he'd given him earlier that night. "And that bullet is probably lodged in the space where they ripped out his muscle 11 years ago, so you need to get him to the hospital for surgery."

Jude watched him in awe, shaking her head. "Wha…How…"Darius followed them outside, and pulled Jude into her Range Rover, taking the keys from her and starting the car. "Look, I knew something was going to go down tonight. Sadie and Matt did too, but nobody knew who it would be. We didn't expect it to happen until he was into his second set."Jude glared at him, wiping her tears away. "Why wouldn't you tell me?!"Darius laughed. "Tell you? Yeah, you guys all but had me arrested when I brought him that necklace. I would have thought putting his old wedding ring in his pocket and giving him that necklace would have gave it away."

Jude eyed him curiously, shaking her head. She reached up and pulled her hair out of the hair pretty holding it up. "What? Angie is back from the dead to avenge her death? Portia's-" Jude paused and shook her head. "No…Portia…"Darius shook his head, pulling up the to hospital behind the ambulance. "Portia, I hadn't seen her since you guys left for London. And you guys weren't my biggest fan when I left, but it wasn't me creating a mess out of your lives. That was her. I-""You just got caught up in the mess of it all, trying to stop it all before it got worse. Always the wrong place at the wrong time, eh?" Jude eyed him as they practically ran for the entrance of the hospital.

"I know it sounds crazy, but its true. I wouldn't even have the time to make this kind of story up, Jude." Darius practically promised her as they stepped into the elevator.

"Don't worry, I believe you. At least tell me that he's going to be okay…and what the hell!? Muscle ripped out of his shoulder!?" Jude crossed her arms, walking onto the main hallway of the fifth floor. Darius groaned, shaking his head. "Eleven years ago, when Portia got out of treatment, she shot him. Angie had just died, Tommy told Portia that he wanted a divorce and she refused to give up that easily. So she put a gun to his head. Obviously she didn't kill him…But she shot him three times in the shoulder. You have no idea what it took to bury that and keep it out of the press. When he surfaced for the tour 8 weeks later, they'd already made the choice that it was their last album, and there was no more childish dancing, so most of the time he went on without his sling and they all sold it pretty good. But when they did the surgery, they had to take out most of the muscle that wasn't essential to connecting his shoulder to his collar bone, otherwise it would have resulted in lead poisoning and it probably would have killed him."

Jude sighed heavily, feeling her stomach roll, and in the literal sense. "Whoa… Calm it down there. Daddy's fine now."Darius laughed, shaking his head. "No matter how far you two ever made it with each other, I still never thought you would end up married with kids."Jude shook her head as well, giggling. "Well, the wedding's supposed to be next week, but now it'll probably be next month, if not longer than that, and the baby's not born yet. We just…didn't have time to slow down our careers enough to get to the actual wedding."

Darius nodded, settling in a chair as they wheeled Tommy past he and Jude down to the OR, leaving them to wonder what would result in the next few hours….

**--**

**I don't have to feel this way**

**No one gets to control my pain**

**I'm get high on lyrics**

**Its time to get away**

**--**

Jude groaned, feeling a hand shake her shoulder. She pouted sheepishly, opening her eyes slowly. She smiled wearily as she met the blue eyes she loved.

"Wha…you're out of bed…And…awake…"Tommy smiled, shaking his head at her. "You just couldn't make life easy, could you?"She looked at him, confused. "Wha…What're you talking about?"He laughed, moving himself across the room in his wheelchair. "I need physical therapy, otherwise I might not ever walk again. The bullet was an inch from my spine and it ripped a nice chunk of skin from my forehead…This is gross, I know, but when they pulled it-""It out, it still had the skin from your head on it. I know; I saw." Tommy grimaced, shaking his head at the thought of it.

"I'm sorry, Jude…" He turned the wheelchair around, looking at her. "I really didn't expect last night to end that way. That benefit has NEVER had something like this happen…"Jude shook her head, smiling at him. She crossed her arms over her chest before something occurred to her. "M-my..my-my baby-"Tommy shook his head with a soft smile telling her to quiet down as he wheeled himself out of her view. A minute later he wheeled over to her with a sleeping baby in his arms. "Mommy, meet baby Quincy." He moved slowly, wincing as he leaned forward to lay the baby in her arms. Jude looked at him through tear filled eyes, shaking her head.

"But….how? I mean…" Her words faded out as she looked down at her daughter, a full head of jet black hair and deep blue eyes to match.

"Like I said. You can't make anything simple…Apparently you fell asleep in the waiting room, and your water broke. Dr. Cohen thinks its because of all the stress from the night…Anyway, they took you in for an emergence Cesarean, and she was alive and screaming when I got out of surgery. Believe it or not, Darius was looking after her for most of the night."Jude's jaw dropped and she couldn't help but giggle at the thought. "Darius? D-Darius watched our daughter?"Tommy nodded, shaking his head. "You know Maura is almost 10? He's still got custody of her, too."Jude's eyes widened momentarily, and she shook her head. "Wow." She looked back down at the baby in her arms and couldn't help but smile. "baby girl…"Tommy whimpered, pushing himself up out of the wheelchair and onto the bed. "Ah fu-…g!"

Jude shook her head at him, giving him a hand, while trying to keep her daughter in her arms. "Are you nuts? A doctor could have helped you do this. Name all your lovely injuries for me, please."He looked up at her as he settled in the bed next to her, pulling her into his arms. "Well, I'm not paralyzed. But there's a lot damage near my spinal cord, so I have to have physical therapy to strengthen the muscles there so my body doesn't snap in two and leave me left for dead."Jude nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. "Also, my shoulder was completely ripped from the socket. They repaired it though. And there's three nice big screws holding it together, so I hope next time they bullet bounces back out at that bitch."Jude couldn't help but giggle at his comment as he continued. "My head will be fine. They said that there'll probably be a scar, but nothing too serious. Just a story to tell the grandchildren. And my chest…Well, lets just say I was very lucky last night."Jude looked up at him, biting her bottom lip. "What is it?"He shook his head, looking down at his hands. "You don't want to know, trust me. I'd rather they had left me for dead than did what they did…"Jude glared at him, laying the baby in his arms. "Don't you dare say that. Now tell me."Tommy nodded, looking up at her. "A six year old was hit by a car yesterday…The bullet tore through both of my lungs. I could have survived on one pierced lung, but I needed two…"Jude's jaw dropped for a second time, looking at him. "Oh, Tommy…Oh my god, her poor parents!"He nodded again, looking at his daughter. "Apparently they were at the benefit, and their daughter was with a baby-sitter. They heard what happened, and the doctor said her organs were harvestable…There's just one downside…"Jude rested her head on his shoulder, looking up at him. "And whats that?"He smirked, looking down at her. "You're gonna laugh and think I'm nuts."She looked into his eyes, smiling. "Try me."He shrugged, reaching down and holding her hand. "Okay. The little girl had severe asthma. And you've seen me and my attacks."Jude groaned, but with a smile on her face, and she couldn't help but laugh. "My asthma freak who could end up never walking again and almost ended up with lead poisoning and dying, still finds a reason to smile.""What do you think, Angie James?"Jude nodded. "Angie James Quincy it is…"

**A\N: And now its 5 AM, and time to hit the hay. Yes, I did change Angie's last name, purely because I think it flows better, but yes, that is what I settled on for the baby's name. And yes, this is a one-shot. Believe me, there is NOT going to be a story based off of this. **

**:D**


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